Smuggle
by Just-Absolutely-Super
Summary: [Post Promise Day] In which Alphonse is stuck in the hospital after regaining his body and Edward sneaks in a cat to help his brother feel better.


**AN:** Hey guys, guess who finally decided to catch up with everyone else and read the best manga of our time?

That's right, it's me!

Nothing too special here, just a small fic that I came up with on the spot. Has Edward (my trash son) being a little shit while doubling as #1 Big Brother. I hope you all enjoy it! Leave a review if you did, and hopefully you can expect more FMA fics in the future!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA.

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Edward glanced on either side of him, checking to see if the coast was clear.

If only the little furball he's hiding in his shirt would _stop squirming_! Honestly, the things he does for his brother. If this one scratches the shit out of him like _last time_ then there will be hell to pay! He'd declaw the little shit himself!

Focusing on his task at hand, Ed carefully made his way to his younger brother's hospital room.

Looks like he's home free—

"Mr. Elric."

Shit.

Ed turned toward the voice. It was the nurse who has been taking care of Al the past couple of days. She's an older woman, probably her fifties, and has a very serious and no-nonsense attitude about her.

She and Ed do not get along very well...

"Sneaking in another cat?" she asks with a sneer.

"No..." Ed draws out, feigning ignorance, "What on earth would give you that idea?"

But of course that blasted alley cat would betray him by mewling, struggling harder to escape its captor. The nurse raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not amused.

"You know the rules, Mr. Elric. No outside animals unless they are therapeutic animals." She then heaves a sigh, "I don't know why you even bother. Your brother sees the therapeutic animals practically every day."

"Yeah, but it's not for a very long time." Ed counters, "And besides, there aren't any cats in your therapeutic animal program. Al likes cats. Me bringing him some cats to play with seems pretty therapeutic if you ask me."

"Because sometimes cats are difficult to tame like a dog," the nurse supplied. "Also, Mr. Jenkins who shares the room with your brother is deathly allergic. If you bring a cat around him, he could go into an anaphylactic attack!"

Ed rolled his eyes, "Oh please, that old crone is a bold-faced liar! This is, like, my fifth time taking a cat into the room and the fossil hadn't croaked yet!"

He could see the nurse's eye twitch, whether because of Ed's obvious disrespect for Al's roommate (and herself by back talking) or that Ed freely admitted he's smuggled in no less than 5 cats he's not sure. But she's not happy with him now. Not happy one bit...

Jabbing a finger toward the hospital's entrance, the nurse snarled, "Take that filthy animal back to the streets, or I will ban you from your brother's room. Do you understand, Mr. Elric?"

Ed was silent for a minute, possibly contemplating his options. Finally, he sighed.

"Guess it can't be helped..."

Thinking she won, the nurse had a smug smile on her face, "Very good. Now, I can inform your brother you're on your way while you-"

She didn't even finish her sentence as she felt a rush of air. Edward was no longer in front of her. Twirling around, she saw the former Fullmetal Alchemist making a break for Alphonse's hospital room.

Of all the nerve!

She rushed after him. She saw him turn the corner and throw the room's door open and then shut it behind him. If that little twerp barricades the door, she _will_ call security!

Luckily, Ed did not block the door, and the nurse was able to open it up and run inside.

Only to be shocked to find no Edward Elric. His brother, Alphonse, was staring at her in mild shock, a book in his hands. In the next bed was the aforementioned Mr. Jenkins, who was taking turns between gaping at her and the window.

"That punk of a brat just barreled in here, interrupted my nap, and then threw himself out the gosh darn window!" Mr. Jenkins complained. As he muttered a few less than pleasant words about the older Elric, the nurse moved to the open window to look outside.

Sure enough, Edward was running around the corner of the hospital. Odd. She figured he'd put up more of a fight than make an escape.

And what about the-?

Turning toward the more mild-mannered of the Elric brothers, she asked, "Alright, where is it?"

Al blinked, "Where's what?"

"The cat."

"What cat?"

"CAT?!" Mr. Jenkins bellowed, "There's a _cat_ in here?! There better not be! I'm deathly allergic, you know."

The nurse chose to ignore the old man (and Alphonse's eye roll toward the crabby old gentleman), "I caught your brother trying to smuggle in another cat. Did he drop it off before he made his escape?"

Alphonse gave a polite grin before shaking his head, "No, ma'am. Brother just rushed in, said a quick 'hello' and 'goodbye' to me, and then flung himself out the window. I didn't see any cat."

Not believing him, the nurse pulled back the boy's covers. No cat. She then checked under the bed. No cat there either. After checking his pillowcase, each bedside table, the closet, and Mr. Jenkins's bed, the nurse concluded that there was indeed no cat in the room.

Odd.

She shrugged, "Well, at least that boy heeded my words. You two take care and call if you need anything. I have other work to do."

"Yes, ma'am! Thank you!" Alphonse said with a small wave. He was _definitely_ better than his older brother in her eyes.

Once she left, Al went back to his book while Mr. Jenkins grumbled.

"Crazy kid, that older brother of yours. One of these days, that brat will get what's coming to him," with that, the old man rolled over, ready to get back to his afternoon nap that was _rudely_ interrupted.

Al gave a good-natured chuckle, "He really does mean well, honest."

Hearing no reply, Al saw that his roommate was fast asleep. Heaving a sigh of relief, he reached in between the nightstand and his bed, pulling out a book bag. His brother had hauled it in the room a few days ago, full to the brim of books he checked out at the library. Al had been going through them ever since to pass the time while his body recuperated from its time in the Gate.

Lifting the flap, a small, furry head popped up, "Meow!"

Al shushed the creature, and pulled it out of the bag to sit beside him. Pulling his bed sheet over the cat to better hide it, he said, "Just be quiet, little guy. You can sit right here next to me. And then Brother will come back to take you back home, okay?"

The cat curled up next to the skinny boy, yawning real big before closing its eyes for a nap. The only sounds coming from it are its content purrs.

Al smiled, rechecked Mr. Jenkins to see if he was still sleeping, and then continued to read his book.

True, his older brother was a bit of a hassle.

But he was the best older brother Al could have asked for.


End file.
